A Breath of Cold Air: Surprising Forest Patterns Hint at Climate Change Refuges

Jenna Zukswert; Melissa A. Pastore; Jane Foster

Treesearch

A Breath of Cold Air: Surprising Forest Patterns Hint at Climate Change Refuges

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Jenna Zukswert, Melissa A. Pastore, Jane Foster

Year:

2024

Type:

Miscellaneous Publication

Station:

Northern Research Station

Source:

FS

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Download (PDF 7.31 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/68496.pdf

Abstract

Air temperature typically decreases with elevation—anyone who has hiked up a mountain is likely to have noticed that the air temperature drops towards the top. Occasionally, however, cold, dense air settles in low-lying valleys and creates an inversion in the temperature gradient. In these locations, lower elevation areas are temporarily cooler than areas higher up. This fine-scale process, called cold-air pooling, is not fully understood and is often missed in climate modeling.

Keywords

Cold-air drainage, cold-air pooling, complex topography, forest composition, microclimate, microrefugia, mountains, temperature inversions

Citation

Zukswert, Jenna; Pastore, Melissa; Foster, Jane. 2024. A Breath of Cold Air: Surprising Forest Patterns Hint at Climate Change Refuges. Rooted in Research Issue 41, October 2024. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 2 p.